Leadership 101: Our Perspective Colors Everything
As Our Perspective Brightens, Our Effectiveness Broadens
Our perspective fuels our emotions and emotions fuel our actions. Success in work, life and leadership is first an inside job. Our internal perspectives and the way we see things affect everything about us. Like a row of dominos that fall when one is pushed over, our perspectives create a ripple effect that sets off a chain of emotions and actions in our lives. In this post I want us to look briefly at the power of our perspectives and how they can help to bring about exceptional life outcomes for each of us.
Perception Colors Everything
Our perceptions (real or perceived) affect everything about us. Everything will be affected either positively or negatively by the way we see things. Our perspectives color our world. If our perspective is clear and is trained to be able to see what’s good, then our lives have a propensity to lean in that direction. On the other hand, if we always see what is wrong, negative, and bad with everything, then our lives tip in that direction. Make no mistake, the domino effect will be seen, felt, and experienced by all; but it’s always our choice. How we view things has everything to do with the future direction that our lives will take.
Common Denominator of Success
Over the years I’ve noticed that one of the common ingredients that many successful people share, is a positive attitude and a healthy perspective toward life. Their eyes are full of light. Men and women who have an excellent spirit about them possess an orientation that tilts toward optimism instead of criticism. 
They believe in possibility rather then unattainability. They choose the high road and strive to see the best in others, rather than descend onto the low road of criticism and complaining. They pitch their tents in the land of hope. This way of looking at life is a core ingredient of most successful people. As our perspective brightens, our effectiveness broadens.
You Find In Life What You’re Looking For
One of the amazing truths of life is that we find what we are looking for. If we’re looking for what’s good, we’ll find it. If we are looking for what’s wrong about something or someone, we’ll find that, too. For example, there could be 100 things working right in a relationship, with a job, or in yourself, but if we are always looking for what’s not good about some situation, we’ll always find it and miss the 99 other wonderful things that surround us. One proverb said it this way, “If we search for good, we will find good; but if we search for the bad, it will find us.” What we pay attention to draws us toward it because it focuses our minds in that direction. Our brains are actually created to operate this way.
What We Focus On Pull Us Toward It
I remember a while back, riding my bike down a steep and winding mountain hill. As I was rocketing down the highway, I had to concentrate so I didn’t crash into the side rail as I banked hard on a sharp turn near the bottom. I remember how I started to become mesmerized at one point by watching the side of the road so intensely. The more I focused on not coming too close to the guardrail, the more I felt myself actually drifting toward it. My brain wanted to go where I was focusing. It felt almost like a magnet was pulling me toward it. This is why when we’re first learning to play baseball, the coach always says, “Keep your eye on the ball.” Why? It’s because our body wants to follow our eyesight and align our body with our perception. What we focus on pulls us toward it.
Reticular Activating System
The reticular activating system (RAS) is an area of our brain that serves as a type of filter. The RAS determines what we notice and what we don’t notice. Most of the time our brain works overtime to help us tune out unimportant information so we don’t go crazy with data overload. At the same time, our RAS works like a laser-guided missile system in pursuit of a target. When we do decide to focus on what’s most important, our brains are hard-wired to go after it. We see what we are looking for.
Target: Ford Escort Wagons
Many years ago, my wife asked me if we could buy a new economical car. She told me this popular model was called a Ford Escort Wagon. I told her, “I’ve never heard of it.” Long story short, we ended up going down to the local Ford dealer and bought a brand new white one. As we drove it home, with three kids in the back seat, I was shocked. Everywhere I looked somebody was driving a Ford Escort Wagon. There were Ford Escorts everywhere: white, blue, red, green, and silver! I couldn’t believe it. I told Mary, “We just bought the most popular car on the road!” Let me ask you a question. Do you really think all these Ford Escorts just appeared out of nowhere? Of course they didn’t. They were always there. I just didn’t notice them because my brain filtered them out because I was not looking for them. They were unimportant to me at that time. But once I was looking out for them, they jumped out from everywhere. Why? Because my RAS was awakened and locked onto its target: Ford Escort Wagons.
Focusing Your Brain’s Reticular Activating System
Many people who are successful in life and business understand this principle of being able to see and find what they are looking for. They do their best to channel their RAS to their advantage. These men and women know that “seeing” is the precursor to “doing.” So, they put a “seeing plan” together that identifies their target goal. This not only clarifies what they want and what they are looking for, but it awakens and focuses this unique part of their brain. When we set our focus on the achieving our goals, while understanding how our RAS works, we gain an advantage because we have now activated our minds to help resource us with added energy, high-definition clarity, and fully alive brainpower. What we choose to focus on will naturally pull us toward it. So choose wisely!
